Improvement



UNITED S'IA'IESl THOMAS 'HIBBRTfO-r COCHRAN. LNDIANA.

" lMPRi/'EMENi-"iu cA'R-couPLiNes.

PATENT- Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 173,289, dated February 8, 1876; application December 9,' 1875. A f

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS .HIBBERL of Cochran, Dearborn county, Indiana, have i11- vented anew and useful Gar-Coupling, of

y which thefollowing is a specification Thisl invention relates to that class of' de.

vices which employ a pivoted gravitatin g hook-shaped catch or latch-lever, for the purpose of retaining the coupling-link within the draw-head; andthe iirst part ofl my improvements consists inarrangin g the vlatch-lever in the draw-head in such a manner as to relieve its pivot oi' all strains incident to the violent.

and irregular motions "of the car. Tofaccomplish this result I pass said pivot-,through slots in the sides or walls of the draw-head, which slots arearranged longitudinally ofthe coupling, and they are of such length to prevent the pivot coming in lcontact with their ends when the stress is brought to bear upon the link.` These slots, therefore, allow the latch to be drawn toward the mouth of the draw-head by the link, and in so doing the latch or catch becomes seated in an excavation of the head, which excavated portion acts as an abutment to rreceive the entire strain that is brought to bearl upon the coupling devices. p

The second part of my invention consists in providing the draw-head with a horizontallysliding spring-bolt, which presses against one side ofthe latch with suiicient force to maintain the latter in its elevated position after it has been raised by the attendant. This bolt not only maintains the latch in its elevated or normal position, and prevents it rattling,`but

` said bolt acts, also, as a guard, to secure the latch in its closedor coupled condition. In

this connection the latch cannot be accidentvertical section through the draw-head, the latch being shown at its normal or elevated position, and a link from the opposing car in the act of entering the draw-head.` Fig. 3 is a similar section, butshowing the latch .inserted in the coupling-link. Figs. 4,. 5, and i6 are sections, taken, respectively, at'the lines X X, Y Y, and Z Z. Fig. 7 is a top view, withpart brokenaway, to show spring-bolt engaged with the catch. Fig. 8 is a view of the spring-bolt on a larger scale. 0f the above illustrations Fig. l is to a reduced scale.

The draw-head A is provided with the customary flaring mouth or muzzle B, to. facilitate the entrance of couplinglink C, which latter may be ot' the represented or any other. suitable shape. The draw-head has a vertical slot, D, for the gravitating and hook-shaped catch or latch lever E, which constitutes the coupling device proper of the draw-head. This latch is furnished With a hook, F, with which the link C engages when the cars are coupled.

The opposite end of said latch terminates inA a downwardlyprojecting spur or heel, G, against which heel the advancing end ot link C impinges after the latter has entered the draw-head a suitable distance. Furthermore, said latch is provided with a shoulder, H, which bears against ajog, I, in the drawhead, when the latter is closed. By this means said shoulder and jog act as stops to limit the descent of the latch within the drawhead. Located near the inner end of the latch E is a perforation, J, traversed by a pin, K, which serves as the pivot of said latch. This pin passes through two longitudinal s lots, L L, in the draw-head, and said pivot may be secured in position by means of a spring-key, M, or other means.

The draw-head is chambered out at N to receive a spiral spring, O, which surrounds a bolt, P, the stress of said spring tending to force the bolt toward the latch E. When this bolt is applied to the draw-head, it is first passed through a perforation, gdirectlyopposite the chamber N, after which a pin, it, is applied, so as to prevent said bolt becoming detached. The inner end of this bolt terminates in a conical point, p. Oneend of the Vlatch is chamfered off at e, in order that said latch may the more -readily force back the bolt whenever the device E is elevated. R is a shackle, wherewith the latch E may be elevated by hand, Whenever it is desired tonncouple the cars.

My coupling is operated4 in the following l manner: In the normal 'condition of the vari ous operative parts, lthe catch E is elevated and maintained in position by the pressure 0f boltP against the appropriate side of said catch, as seen in Fig. 5. In this position vot the catch its hook F is raised high enough t0 a'ord an unobstructed entrance to the mouth of the draw-head, while'fthe heel G'oc'cupies the rear of slot D. As soon as the lcouplinglink C enters the draW-heada suitable distance, the advancing end of said link impin'ges against the heel G with sufficient force'to cause the latch E to turn upon its pivot K, Which act instantly engages the hook F with said link. (See Fig. 3.) The momentf the hook engages with the link the b'olt P is rc-v tracted by the action of spring O.l and said bolt then acts as a stop, to prevent such vertical play ot' the device E as would besuflicient to liberate the link, and thereby accidentally uncouple the cars. In this closed condition of the latch its shoulder'H seats upon the jog I, while the entire latch is drawn forward by the stress of link C, and, consequently, the hook F is brought to bear against the end of slot D, and the pivot K relieved from all strain. Y l i v l To unconple the cars, it .is only necessary tolift the latch E to theposition shown: in

Fig. 2, soas to liberate thelink C for withv drawal. v

When the latch E is elevated, an ordinary pin can .be passed down through slot D and perforation d, as -indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. Or, if preferred', the hook may be made long enough and of such shape as to enter-said perforation when the latch is closed.

In this case, however, the ordinary pin could lnot be employed, as the increased length of ed edge f of the hook will allow the link to enter readily, 'and to automatically enga-ge with the latch. l

Ivclaim as new and oi' my invention- The chambered draw-head A N, for receiving the spring-bolt O P, that operates upon lthe latch E in the manner'set forth.

THOMAS HIBBER'R Attest:

- GEO. H. KNIGHT,

JAMES H. LA'YMAN. 

